Apples - suggestions please

by **BackyardBrewer** » Thu Apr 04, 2013 8:27 pm

I have a hook up with a local orchard (through a mate) and they a 400 kg bin for under $100 - crazy cheap. I can't even store that at my place so I'm taking up my 200L fermenter and he'll fill it with juicing apples for a good price...

So fruit monkeys...what do I do with this gift? I want to juice out enough for 3x30L fermenters worth of hard cider but I'd love some thoughts or recipes on what to make of this apple windfall.

by **emptyglass** » Thu Apr 04, 2013 8:57 pm

Apple jack!

by **BackyardBrewer** » Thu Apr 04, 2013 9:41 pm

As in freeze distilling cider? Done it a few times before I had my still and the hangover is brutal. I'd rather have cider or spirit.

by **invisigoth** » Thu Apr 04, 2013 11:36 pm

BackyardBrewer wrote:As in freeze distilling cider? Done it a few times before I had my still and the hangover is brutal. I'd rather have cider or spirit.

yeh, freeze distillation magnifies any off flavours.. been there done that .. never again! maybe apple brandy? cider without using proper cider varieties never tastes quite right. maybe get your hands on some honey and make cyser?

by **emptyglass** » Fri Apr 05, 2013 8:34 am

That was in the olden days, when they left their cider outdoors over winter in northern hemisphere.
If you run your cider through a still, you get to make cuts and take the hangover out, or so I've read...
I believe if you make the cider from juice, its better than whole apples.

by **crow** » Fri Apr 05, 2013 8:44 am

I got 200 ltrs of cider brewing at the moment. I expect to run it next weekend though my old (the brother in laws) still
BYB do try to find a way to crush them if you can, they just don't break down or ferment otherwise . I had a devil of a time trying to crush them wished I'd put a board over them and drove over them like I was going to :laughing-rolling:

by **BackyardBrewer** » Fri Apr 05, 2013 9:02 am

Yeah hand juicing 100kgs in the old Breville JuiceMaster 2000™ is feeling um..."eager" to say the least! :laughing-rolling:

by **baldoss** » Fri Apr 05, 2013 1:11 pm

crow wrote:wished I'd put a board over them and drove over them like I was going to :laughing-rolling:

Mate you are completely mad :laughing-rolling:

by **MacStill** » Fri Apr 05, 2013 3:29 pm

crow wrote: I had a devil of a time trying to crush them wished I'd put a board over them and drove over them like I was going to :laughing-rolling:

You could use a whacka packa (jumping jack) in a kids pool to do that, wouldn't take long I'd reckon :D

by **emptyglass** » Fri Apr 05, 2013 3:47 pm

Poke a brushcutter into the drum crow.

baldoss wrote:
crow wrote:wished I'd put a board over them and drove over them like I was going to :laughing-rolling:

Mate you are completely mad :laughing-rolling:

That happened a long time ago, just after he drank that slug rum.

by **crow** » Fri Apr 19, 2013 12:11 am

just racked that crap to run this weekend. Oh lordie , first it pumped out a sinch but then it got down to the mark and well apple sauce comes to mind (along with memories of the figs. I did think long and hard about turfing that shit but couldn't bring myself to do it. It was say 40 ltrs so out with the towel :roll:

by **Cane Toad** » Fri Apr 19, 2013 6:51 am

You're a gluten for punishment aren't ya old mate :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling: p

by **wynnum1** » Fri Apr 19, 2013 8:48 am

Have a look at this UK website has some interesting information .
http://www.vigopresses.co.uk/Catalogue/Pasteurisers

by **crow** » Sat Apr 20, 2013 5:29 pm

Running the scrumpy tomorrow, can't believe I'm acually getting excited over running a poxy pot still man I need to get home :teasing-tease: Nar should be good helping the Brother in law with his first run, hope he's got his shit together (kegs, burner gas ect)

by **BackyardBrewer** » Sat Apr 20, 2013 5:46 pm

I have to say that this will likely be an awesome product.

Calvados .... Mmmmmm!

by **crow** » Tue Apr 23, 2013 12:52 am

ran 150 ltr got 100 to go , maybe a bit less. was a big education I think for the BIL reckon he had a good night. its not so intimidating for him now :handgestures-thumbupleft: . Its not to bad as far as low wines go and in my humble opinion is going to make an excellent brandy :-D

by **BackyardBrewer** » Tue Apr 23, 2013 12:25 pm

Well the ciders are fermenting fine, but bugger me I CANNOT get the march and sugar mix to fire off strongly enough. Got 3 fermenters on the go, added EC1118...waited....waited... added more...waited...waited. Made up a yeast bomb of two sachets of ale yeast and some Coopers LDME and dextrose. This thing was charging! Split it evenly over 3 fermenters...only one has kicked off. :angry-banghead:

It is cold in the shed at the moment, so I have brought one of the duds inside and I have added a very small amount of bakers yeast and I've got it on the heat belt in the laundry.

Better be fermenting by the time I get home :angry-tappingfoot: I have put an easy $15-$20 of yeast in by now.

If it is then I'll bring the other one in out of the cold and spice it up with some more bakers yeast.

by **crow** » Tue Apr 23, 2013 12:29 pm

hmm doesn't make much sense. You got sugar, yeast, nuets , say whats the pH level ?

by **blond.chap** » Tue Apr 23, 2013 12:32 pm

crow wrote:hmm doesn't make much sense. You got sugar, yeast, nuets , say whats the pH level ?

pH should be fine, I've got pretty much the same mix sitting in my garage and all 3 have fired. I recon it's heat, mine have a cuddly electric blanket keeping them warm.

by **BackyardBrewer** » Tue Apr 23, 2013 12:50 pm

I think it's heat too. No real difference in our batches. I added a couple of Coopers Brew Enhancer kits and 4kgs of sugar split across all fermenters. I think it is the weather. When we put the juice down as cider it was a lot warmer. Temps in Adelaide have dropped off quickly and a week later when i pitched the march it is freezing out in the shed.

I have my sparky coming tomorrow to run power from the house to the shed, so I will be getting heat belts on the other two ASAP. No signs of a nastie ferment or anything sour, two just smell like fresh apples and the one that's fermenting has that distinct wine/cider smell and visible activity.